Harley spent the rest of her holiday holed up in her basement, trying to make heads or tails of the new information she'd gotten.
Her mum could have hidden her for three reasons: one, she didn't want James to know she'd been unfaithful. Two, Harley's father was really in league with Voldemort and she had changed her parentage to protect her. Three, her father was Voldemort, which would explain how she was so drawn to the Dark Arts. She hoped it was the first choice, because she wanted to know her father, if he was in fact still alive as the Hat had said.
Before term began, Harley received her owl with the list of things she'd need to pick up at Diagon Alley. Among the list was a shiny red badge with the letter "P" on it. Harley perused the letter and found that she had been approved to be a prefect! After only attending Hogwarts for one year!
"Your letter of recommendation from Professors McGonagall, Sprout, and Snape were outstanding, and we are happy to have you assisting your fellow Gryffindors," Dumbledore wrote. The list of prefect duties followed, and then there was another note. "As you know, fifth years are required to take their OWLs (Ordinary Wizarding Levels). While all your teachers feel that you are capable of passing every class, if you feel any hesitance in taking them so soon, come speak with me and we can settle the matter privately with the professors."
OWLs. She'd heard the twins grumbling about them, but hadn't realised what they were all about. What would happen if she couldn't pass? Could she have her wand snapped and her powers revoked?
Even worse, would studying for OWLs and being a prefect interfere with her search for her father? If need be, she could get help or bow out till a later date, but she felt that her grades at Hogwarts were more important than even her parentage.
She told her parents she was a prefect, but the joy they had meant very little to her. These were not her parents, despite the fact that they raised her. They had been wonderful, but it was like looking at two strangers now that she knew what she knew. Two strangers who were vaguely fearful when they were around her.
She packed her trunk and went to King's Cross station on September first, and she saw that her friends were all waiting for her. She blanched, realising that she now had to tell Harry that she was his sister. This was going to be interesting.
"Harley, I'm glad you're here," Harry said. "These guys are going crazy over this big news you have for me. Hopefully it's good, because the whole community is worried about that escaped wizard, and I blew my aunt Marge up and almost got thrown in jail myself."
"What escaped wizard?" She asked.
"Sirius Black. The guy on the news," Ron said. "He broke out of a wizard prison, and they're advertising it on Muggle news in case anyone spots him."
"Huh. Even magical prisons are unreliable," Harley commented. "Come on, let's get on the Express and then I will tell you what I found out, Harry. I'm sure it is a better piece of news than you blowing your aunt up or escaped murderers."
Settled on the Hogwart's Express, Fred and George said they'd save Harley a seat in their car after she was done talking with Harry.
"So...I found out who my mum and stepfather were," she said.
"Stepfather? Not your real father?" Harry asked.
She shook her head. "No. For one reason or another, my mum told my stepfather he was my biological father. I am working to find out why, exactly."
"Then who's your mum?" Harry asked.
"If you would quit interrupting me, Potter, I will tell you," Harley said, tight-lipped. "I am your half sister. Your mum was my mum."
Harry stared at her, round-eyed behind his equally round glasses. "Are you… I mean, you are… We're related?"
"Indeed," she said.
"My mother cheated on my father?" Harry looked positively aghast.
Harley shook her head. "Perhaps not. When were they married?"
"I don't know," Harry replied.
"Then it might have been right before, or during a break they could have taken. There are many possibilities, and this is just one of them." She stood up. "Now, I have to go change into my robes. See you three in the Great Hall." As she left, Hermione's new cat was once again trying to attack Ron's old rat, Scabbers. She hated the little thing, as it had bitten her twice, and she hoped Crookshanks would eat it.
As a rule, she had to pop into the prefects' car. Percy, who was Head Boy, was there, as was the other prefects, none of whom she knew well, even her own housemate. After touring the cars with Percy, she was glad to get out of there, as they all looked at her as if she were a bug.
"How'd he take it?" Fred asked when she sat down next to him.
"Worried his mum cheated on his apparently saintly father," she replied. "I doubt we'll have much sibling bonding. We are not very alike."
"Truthfully, I thought you'd be a Slytherin when we met on the train," Lee said. "You're not very like any of us."
"And isn't that a good thing," she said blandly as she took out her robes to change, ignoring him for the rest of the ride, only looking up from the book she'd brought when there was a commotion on another car.
They arrived at Hogwarts and boarded the carriages to the school, where everyone assembled in the Great Hall. She noticed that her newly acquired little brother was looking the worse for wear.
"Did you hear what happened on our car?" Hermione asked once everyone had sat down. "There was an Azkaban guard-a Dementor-on the train! Harry fainted, but the new professor for Defence Against The Dark Arts saved him."
While they rehashed the Dementor attack, Harley looked at the main table to see the new DADA professor. He was a sallow, scarred man with sandy hair and a moustache. He looked quite sickly himself. He also looked vaguely familiar. She noticed Professor Snape had seated himself as far away from the new guy as possible, and they glared at each other every so often.
Dumbledore stood, made his yearly speech, and then the Sorting Hat came out for the first years. It seemed like a million years had gone by before Dumbledore introduced the new professor as Remus Lupin. Harley hoped the man was more competent than Lockhart had been, but if he had defended Harry against a Dementor, he had to be at least a modicum better.
Once the dinner was over, Harley excused herself and went to where she knew Dumbledore's office was. She had no idea how to get in, so she knocked at the gargoyle a few times until Professor Snape stood behind her.
"Do you need something, Miss Torrance?"
"Hello, Professor. I had needed to speak with the headmaster about something vaguely important, and would like to do so before I have classes and OWLs to study for," she said.
"All right. Come with me. I need to receive my new student list from him. Lemon drop."
"His password is 'lemon drop'?" she asked, suppressing laughter.
Snape just gave her a look that said, "Do you see what I have to deal with," as he lead her up the stairs to the headmaster's office.
Dumbledore was seated at a vast desk, sorting parchment. "Severus, here is your list of first years and class schedules," he said without looking up. A piece of parchment went straight towards the professor, who snatched it out of the air. "And here is the potion recipe for Remus. Thank you for agreeing to brew it every month." Another parchment shot at him in the same manner.
"I am not alone, Albus, if you'd look up," Snape said dryly.
The old wizard looked up and smiled, "Harley Torrance! Lovely to see you. Did you need something, dear?"
She nodded. "Not 'need', exactly. I found information about my birth mother, and thought that it might be of interest to you."
"Sit down, please," Albus said, gesturing to a guest chair.
"Allow me to take my leave. This is a personal matter," Snape said, turning to go, but Dumbledore called him back.
"Students' lives, particularly such a touchy subject, should be known by the professors. Miss Torrance, do you mind if Professor Snape stays? I will have to tell your Head of House as well."
Harley said, "I don't mind, but would like for this information to be kept quiet to the other students. My...friends...were told because I believe I can trust them, but I feel that the entire student body knowing would lead to bullying not just for myself, but for Potter as well."
"What does this have to do with him?" Snape asked.
"Everything. My mother was Lily Evans. My stepfather was James Potter. My mother had me two years before Harry, and James never knew I wasn't his child, as far as I can tell," Harley revealed.
She looked between the two professors, gauging their reactions. Dumbledore was nodding, as if he had expected this news all along. Snape, who was already quite naturally pale, went positively white.
"I discovered that my things that went to the orphanage I was at were Charmed as well, and when the Charm was lifted from me, it was also lifted from them. I found my birth certificate, medical records, and a wizarding photo album of my first three years alive. She reached into her bag and pulled out the file and the album, handing them to Dumbledore.
He read the papers, smiling. "Well, this is no great surprise. It explains your excellence: Lily was a fantastic witch." He turned his attention to the photos, checking them with a Wizarding Microglass for authenticity. He came upon one and laughed, removing it from the album and handing it to Professor Snape, who had barely breathed since Harley's announcement.
"Look here, Severus: she's been at it since she was a toddler."
Harley saw that it was the photo of her performing magic with the Muggle chemistry set. Snape's expression didn't change, and why would it? She was sure many students showed progress at a young age, and he would really not care much for her now, knowing she was Harry's sister. She didn't know why there was no love lost between the teacher and her brother, but she did know it was now going to make Potions a living nightmare for her.
Snape gathered his robes and stood up. "I really must take my leave now. Oh, by the way, these Dementors you have protecting the school: I think it's a bad idea. While Black is a dangerous and reckless criminal, he is not worth a student or staff member accidentally getting their soul sucked out."
"What?" Harley asked. "That's what a Dementor's Kiss is?"
Snape gave a grave look. "Indeed. They make you relive your worst memory over and over before they suck your soul out. A most fitting punishment for Azkaban residents like Black, but not for children. In any case...goodnight, Miss Torrance. Goodnight, Albus."
After he left, Dumbledore sighed. "I don't like these Dementors, either. I hope they do not interfere with things too much. In any case, I have made a copy of your birth certificate and medical records for our student records. Enjoy your fifth year." He handed her back her things.
She went to get up, but made herself ask, "Sir...you said it came as no surprise that my mother was Lily Evans. Why?"
"I long suspected who your parents were the moment I laid eyes on you," he replied.
"Well, would you be willing to tell me who my father is?" Harley wondered.
Dumbledore gave her a patronising look. "My dear, you can't expect me to give out such information. You must go and seek it out one way or another. Only then will the truth be satisfying for you."
Well, that was helpful, you batty old bastard, Harley thought as she went back to the Gryffindor common room. Fred and George were swapping textbooks, Ron was showing Harry a Quidditch magazine, and Hermione was reading.
"Well, it has begun," Harley said, sitting down next to Hermione. "Dumbledore and Snape know who my mum is. By tomorrow, all the staff will." She turned to Harry. "If I begin losing points in Potions, I'll kill you."
"Don't you think Snape would be the one to blame?" Harry shot back. "He's the one who hates me when I never did anything wrong!"
Ignoring him, she told them what Dumbledore told her, and Hermione said, "You can ask McGonagall. She taught here for years so she might know who your father is."
"Oh, and before Dumbledore realised I was in the room, he gave Snape a potion recipe that he has to brew for Professor Lupin once a month. I knew the man looked a bit peaky," Harley said. He also looks so damned familiar…
OWL year was not a joke. Like SATs for Muggles in America, OWLs determined what you would do with your life once you graduated, and it also determined what classes you took in your sixth and seventh years at Hogwarts.
Their first class was Transfiguration with McGonagall. Harley knew that as long as she got decent grades on her OWLs, she'd keep taking this class. There was a lot to learn here before she graduated, and she liked the way McGonagall taught.
Once class had ended, Harley asked to stay behind to talk, which the professor agreed to.
"I assume that this is about your revelation over summer holidays?" She said. "Lily was a wonderful student, and a genuinely good person."
"It is. Professor, the headmaster told me that he wants me to discover who my real father is for myself. With all due respect, I don't care if someone carves it into my flesh, there are things I need to know, and this is one of them. Is there anything you can tell me about my real father? His name, for instance?"
McGonagall fixed her with a piercing stare only she was capable of. "Miss Torrance, while I am sure I know who your father is, I am not about to give you information you might not be ready for. If I am being completely honest with you, you might be better off not knowing.
"You are very much like your father, in many ways. And some of those ways should not be encouraged. Stay in your mother's light. Do not allow any negative influences in your life. While your father has committed no real crime, I cannot in good faith say he is a good man. He is damaged, and his ideals were not your mother's. My advice is to not seek out the unknown."
That was not advice Harley planned on taking. McGonagall's words only worried her more, regarding her parentage. She waited all day for a chance to ask the only other person at this school she thought she could get a straight answer out of: Snape. He was crass and cruel, but he was also blunt, and that was what she needed.
They had double Potions as the last class, where Snape glared at many of the students-Lee Jordan and the giggly Alicia Spinnet-as he made his first day speech about OWLs.
"I expect every student here to manage an 'Acceptable' on their Potions OWL. However, if you also plan to take your NEWTs for this class in your seventh year, you must attain an 'Outstanding' grade on your OWL. The world outside of Hogwarts is no place for abysmal potioneers, and neither is my classroom. Those who score below an 'O' will not be allowed to continue this class in sixth year."
He gave them their assignment, flicked his wand so that the directions appeared on the board and then made his slow rounds around the classroom.
"Miss Johnson, you are stirring too fast … Mr. Montague, does that look like nearly enough salamander blood? … Spinnet, you will be lucky if you receive a 'D' for whatever that is in your cauldron."
Harley held in a sigh as the professor passed by her cauldron. She knew he had sabotaged Harry's potions before out of spite, or found some miniscule problem to remove points from him, so she was prepared to have her once favourite teacher show his displeasure towards her for the first time.
"Miss Torrance, excellent. Montague, Spinnet, you should think about having her tutor you both...as if there's any hope for either of you in this class," he drawled, looking into her cauldron. "By far the best I have seen on the first day. Five points to Gryffindor. At least one of you is competent."
Hiding her shock, she said, "Thank you, Professor."
Professor Snape assigned homework, and the Gryffindors and Slytherins filed out, many of them giving nasty looks towards Harley, who was hanging back. This had been the last class for the professor as well as the students.
"Sir? May I speak with you?" Harley asked.
She could have sworn there was panic in those dark eyes for a moment, but his calm look was back so quickly she must have imagined it. "Yes, Miss Torrance?"
"You were there last night, with Dumbledore. I was wondering if you had any information about my birth father? Dumbledore wants me to figure it out on my own, and McGonagall blatantly told me I'd be better off not knowing him. Have you anything more positive to add to that?" She asked.
He glanced down at his desk. "McGonagall said your father wasn't a good man?"
"Pretty much, yes, sir. I did not say as much to her, but I am concerned myself. The Sorting Hat told me my father was a Slytherin, and what with the Charm put on me...I was half afraid that my father might be Voldemort."
Professor Snape looked up at her and she was surprised to see an amused smirk on his usually grim face. He sighed, using her given name for the first time. "Harley...I agree with McGonagall. Your father was not a good person. He still is not. He's spiteful, vindictive, and emotionally stunted. He's always been a black sheep, and he always will be. Despite his very best intentions...I could not find one nice word to say about him. However, he is not the Dark Lord!" He stood up. "Your mother, however, she is the person I told you last year that you reminded me of. A bright, beautiful girl with an even brighter future."
"Funny. McGonagall said all she saw in me was my father," Harley said.
He looked her up and down. "On the surface, indeed you are very much like him. He has few good points, but those he does you seem to possess. Do not look at your parents and think you need to be like either of them. Take these years at Hogwarts to find out who you are."
What a speech, especially coming from Snape.
"Thank you, sir. I appreciate the candour," she said.
"My offer from last year still stands. If you need to talk, about anything, my office door is always open to you. I realise McGonagall is your Head of House, but I also know there are some areas you might not want your Head interfering with. Despite what you hear from your Housemates, I am not such a bad listener."
"I will. Thank you. See you on Wednesday, Professor." Harley gave a little wave and went up to the common room, feeling a bit silly at thinking she might be the daughter of the Dark Lord. She had little new information to go on, but felt strangely buoyed up by her professor's words. Unlike McGonagall, he saw more good in her than she saw in herself.
The common room was awash with laughter when she got there and she pulled Fred aside, "Have they all gone mad?"
"Wait till you hear about Lupin's class. They did boggarts. I can't wait for it tomorrow," he said.
Harley knew what a boggart was, and how to banish them. She'd read about them in a few extra books she'd picked up at Flourish & Blotts that summer. What had caused the hilarity had been Neville's boggart. Apparently, his biggest fear was Professor Snape, and when he had used the 'riddikulus' charm, Snape had worn his grandmother's clothes. Harley was apparently the only Gryffindor who didn't find this absolutely hilarious.
What she was thinking about was the comment Hermione made: that the professor's boggart turned into the full moon…